


Oh Baby

by broadway_and_burbank



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: F/M, they makin babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2020-02-16 01:37:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18681499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_and_burbank/pseuds/broadway_and_burbank
Summary: Anna wants a baby. Kristoff isn’t sure. A dinner invitation from a new friend and his wife might be just what Kristoff needs to realize what he does want.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on an idea by tumblr user kristanna who y'all should go follow!

The night roared as rain poured from the sky and thunder shook the castle walls. Water pounded against the large windows as lighting streaked across the sky. But inside the royal couple’s bedchamber, it was soft, warm, and glowing.

The storm outside was worlds away as they tangled themselves in the sheets, Kristoff flipping Anna into the mattress, a grin tracing his lips as he bit her throat and heard her gasp.

His thrusts were slow and deliberate, reveling in every moan, in how her hands ran through his hair and down his back.

“ _Kristoff._ ” Anna pulled him closer, arching her back to meet him, hooking her legs around him, his name leaving her lips in a sigh.

Her eyes burned brighter than the fire blazing in the hearth, and it was moments like this Kristoff lost himself, utterly in awe of the beautiful, wonderful woman he got to call his wife.

Hot, open-mouthed kisses were shared between them as they made love, Kristoff coming closer to his end as Anna rolled her hips to meet him.

He couldn’t have been more in love with her. “ _Anna._ ”

Anna turned her head as she gripped his shoulders, her breath tickling the hair on Kristoff’s cheek. “Kristoff – _mm_ – finish inside me.”

“Wh-what?” That gave Kristoff pause, but he quickly got back into rhythm, eyebrows knitting together at her request.

Anna wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and played with his hair as she beamed up at him, face flushed and hair glowing in the firelight.

“Kristoff – let’s make a baby.”

 “ _What?_ ” He froze, pushing himself up on his elbows as he desperately tried to force himself to ignore how _incredible_ she felt around him and focus on the fact that Anna had _just asked for a baby._

Anna, however, didn’t seem to mind the fact that he was still inside her as she pouted. “What you mean, ‘what’? We talked about this-”

“And we decided to wait. And do we _really_ need to have this discussion right now?”

“Well, we’re kind of in the prime position for it.”

“ _Anna,_ ” he huffed, wanting nothing more than to drop the subject.

“You said you’d think about it!”

“I said I needed more time-”

“And that was months ago!”

“Can we – can we just finish and talk about this later?”

“Not if it’s going to be the same conversation we’ve had seven times! You keep saying it’s not the right time, but when _is_ the right time? It’s been nearly a year-”

“Jesus, Anna, maybe I don’t want a baby right now, okay? Can you just drop it?” He didn’t mean to snap at her, he really didn’t, but what did she expect by just springing it on him?

Apparently a much different answer, because she frowned and pushed at his shoulders. “Get off.”

Kristoff rolled off of her with an annoyed groan and Anna kicked off the remaining blankets and got up before grabbing her robe off a chair.

“Anna, come on-”

But she slammed the door to the washroom, leaving Kristoff alone and frustrated in more ways than one.

He finished himself off, but it wasn’t remotely satisfying and he was upset at himself, at her, and with the whole situation, really.

He threw on a fairly clean pair of pants and waited for her on the bed, trying to figure out his best apology, even though honestly, he didn’t feel he had much to apologize for.

When Anna came back out, she’d changed into a nightgown and silently went back to the bed, crawling in and turning away from him as she pulled the covers up to her nose.

But he couldn’t come up with an apology. “Okay, let’s talk, then,” Kristoff said as the silence went on for too long and a distant rumble of thunder rang in his ears.

“No.” Anna’s voice was muffled by the blanket.

“You said-”

“I have _nothing_ to say to you right now.”

“Good to know you’re acting mature about all this.”

“Oh, _I’m_ being immature?” Anna asked as she sat up, fury in her eyes. “I’m not the one who – ugh! Forget it.” She flipped back over and pulled the blanket with her. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Kristoff copied her position and kept his back to her, silently fuming.

It was only in the morning, after Kristoff had gotten ready for work, and the light of a new day shone through the windows, that he’d calmed down and felt horrible about how he’d handled things.

He didn’t expect to hear shifting in the sheets as he was about to leave, so he turned around and saw a bleary-eyed Anna sitting up in their bed.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked out, looking just as upset as he felt.

“No, hey,” Kristoff made his way over to her and sat down on the bed before pulling her into a hug which Anna returned. “ _I’m_ sorry.”

They pulled away, but Kristoff kept her hands in his.

“I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like that. I should have found a better time to bring it up.” Anna blinked against the morning sun and Kristoff felt an ache in his chest.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did. Of course I want to start a family with you.” He gave a small shrug. “Someday.”

“When?”

“Can we talk when I get back from work? An _actual_ conversation?”

Anna nodded and he kissed her forehead.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Kristoff felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders as he headed toward the mountain, Sven’s trot light over the fresh ground, smelling damp after the heavy rain.

\------

“You look like shit,” Kristoff said, grinning at his friend as they leaned lazily against Kristoff’s sled, a break after a few hours’ good work.

“Yeah? Well, some of us don’t get to sleep in palace beds.” Hendrik smiled back, eyes crinkling as he stared across the ice.

“…I deserved that.” If it was any other man, there would have been a problem, but Hendrik was different. He was what Kristoff would actually call a friend.

The man was about four or five years older than him, but they seemed to have matching senses of humor and he was one of the few men Kristoff didn’t have to prove himself to after he began courting Anna.

Most of the other harvesters were against his higher position, although they eventually came around to it, but Hendrik never said anything against him. In fact, quite the opposite.

Kristoff remembered him clapping him on the shoulder one day. “Don’t worry about them – they’re just bitter. Hell, if I wasn’t already married to the most wonderful woman in the world, I’d call you a lucky bastard, too.”

“They’re calling me a what?”

“Half these men haven’t even had a woman look at them in years. They’re just pissed you managed to snag the second best in all of Norway.”

Kristoff raised a brow. “Second best?”

To that, Hendrik grinned. “I’m afraid my Maria takes first place.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but grin, too, although he naturally disagreed.

A partnership on the ice began soon after, and eventually they fell into an easy friendship, sharing stories about their lives or telling jokes at each other’s expense.

It was nice, Kristoff realized one day, to have a friend.

“Nah,” Hendrik shook his head, the quirk of a smile still on his lips as his voice brought Kristoff back to the present. “I’m just tired. The little one kept us up all night.”

“Oh, how’s she doing?” Kristoff asked, genuinely curious.

“Oh, she’s great. Giving Maria a bit more trouble than the last one, but she’s doing fine. Big and strong like her mother.” At this, Hendrik didn’t even seem to be talking to Kristoff anymore, mostly to himself as he smiled down at his feet. His dark beard concealed his joy, but his eyes didn’t.

“You have kids,” Kristoff said before he could stop himself. Of course he had kids, but maybe a man who knew what it was like could offer up some advice.

“Yes?”

“Sorry, I mean – well, you have kids. What…what’s it like?”

Another smile broke out on his friends face, and Kristoff didn’t like what the glint in his eye was implying.

“Thinking about it yourself, then?”

“No! No, definitely…not. Just curious. I mean, Anna’s definitely thinking about it. I’m…no – no, I was just-” He gave up on his sentence and shook his head, suddenly annoyed.

He felt a large, mittened hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright. You’ve been married, what, a year?”

“Ten months next week.”

“Exactly. The topic was bound to be brought up sooner or later.”

“It’s been brought up a million times. I just…keep saying no.”

Hendrik was quiet as he removed his hand and thought, taking his hat off to rustle through his brown hair. “Well, do you _want_ a child?”

“…it’s not that simple.”

“It’s not that complicated, either. Just answer the question.”

“ _Yes._ ” Kristoff looked up the sky. “Yes, I want a family with Anna. More than anything. But I can’t be a father – I mean, I wouldn’t know what to do. It’s not like I have an example to follow, I don’t…” He trailed off before he shook his head. “The whole idea is ridiculous.”

“You think I didn’t feel the same way? I have four children and I still don’t know what I’m doing half the time. It’s a learning and growing experience for the both of you to have together. Besides, you should be telling her this, not me.”

“I know.” Kristoff took off a glove and rubbed his hand over his face. “I’m just not ready, and I don’t know how else to tell her.”

“You’re never going to be ready,” Hendrik said, placing his cap back securely on his head. “If you wait until you’re ready, it’s never going to happen. And it’s going to be hard, that’s true. But trust me, it is so, _so_ worth it.”

He left then, Kristoff somehow feeling more at odds with himself than before.

_It’s not that complicated._

It sure as hell felt complicated.

He tried to put the idea out of his mind as he worked, but all he could think about was Anna. Anna and a child who didn’t exist yet.

No, no _yet._ A child who didn’t exist _at all._

He decided when he went home that night he would tell Anna his thoughts and then maybe she’d understand. Maybe.

Kristoff was getting ready to leave while practicing a speech in his head when Hendrik jogged up to him, waving to get his attention.

“Hey, Kristoff, I’ve been thinking-”

“Good for you.”

“Why don’t you and the Princess come over for dinner some night?”

“…really?”

“Yeah. Marias been dying to meet you and I think it might be…good.”

“…yeah. Yeah, alright. Anna would love that.”

“Great! Would Thursday work for you?”

That was only three days away, and Kristoff couldn’t think of any other engagements. “That should be fine.”

There was something strange about the look on Hendrik’s face, almost as if he was in on a joke Kristoff didn’t know about. But to be fair, his face looked like that a lot.

Hendrik stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled, nodding at Kristoff. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you.”

The other man smiled again as Kristoff got on his sled and took off.

\------

They had talked after dinner – a little.

The speech Kristoff prepared didn’t come out at all. Just a few jumbled “I don’t think we’re ready” statements with nothing to back them up.

Anna was quiet and nodded a lot, and he realized it quickly became more and more a one-sided conversation.

“Are you alright?” he asked, stopping his rambling and sitting on the side of the bed next to her.

She just shrugged.

“I’d really love if you’d say something.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Kristoff.” Anna finally looked up to him, taking her gaze away from her lap.

Kristoff took a deep breath. “Things are good right now, right?”

Anna’s back straightened as she nodded fervently, gripping onto his arm. “Yes, Kristoff, yes. Things are so good. We’re so, _so_ good.” She wrapped her arms around his bicep and leaned her head on her shoulder.

Again, Kristoff felt his hear constrict in his chest at how much he loved her. “I’m happy, Anna. I’m happier than I ever thought I could be.”

“Me too.”

He saw a grin trace her lips and he kissed the top of her head. “I like where we are right now. And babies…they – they change everything, don’t they?”

Again Anna shrugged, the smile now gone from her face. “I guess.”

“I like the way things are.”

She stayed silent for another few moments until he spoke up again and changed the subject.

“Hey, uh,” Kristoff shook his shoulder against her head in the way that usually made her laugh. “If you’re interested, my friend Hendrik invited us over for dinner. If you don’t want to go, that’s totally-”

“Wait, what?” Anna brought her head up to look at him, smiling broadly again. “That sounds _wonderful!_ He’s one of the harvesters right? Oh, Kristoff, I’m so happy you have such a close friend – oh! When is it? I’ll just have to clear it with Elsa and make sure we don’t have anything planned; even if we do I’m sure we can work around it and-”

“Slow down there, feisty.” Kristoff grinned at her radiant smile. “He suggested Thursday, if that works.”

“That’s perfect! I should decide what to wear!” She stood up, immediately heading over to the armoire.

“Anna,” Kristoff laughed, “it’s not for another few days.”

“Well, I want to be prepared!” She came back over to him and stood in front of him. “It’s not every day we get an invitation of this importance! I want to make a good impression.”

Kristoff pulled her to him against the edge of the bed, his head pressed into the fabric of her dress as she wrapped her arms around him in return.

“It’s impossible for you not to. They’re going to love you.”

“They?”

“Hendrik and his wife, Maria,” he said, pulling back to look up at her.

“Oh, he’s married? Now I’m extra excited!”

“He said it would be good, whatever that means.”

“It’s going to be great!”

Anna always loved meeting new people, but she seemed more excited about dinner with the ice harvester and his wife than any extensive feasts they’ve thrown for visiting royals, and it made Kristoff smile as he stood up to fully take her into his arms.

“You’re absolutely wonderful, you know that?” he asked, holding her close.

“Well, I’ve been told,” she joked, leaning into him. “But it means the most coming from you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Kristoff kissed her lightly, smiling as he playfully tugged on one of her braids, then pulled back slightly, bumping his nose against hers. “What do you say we pick up where we left off last night?”

But Anna simply kissed him on the cheek and untangled herself from his arms. “I’m going to get ready for bed.” She gave him a smile, but there was something sad in it.

\------

Hendrik lived in a village a few miles from the city, and after a few wrong turns because Kristoff _refused_ to ask for directions, and Anna reminded him a million times that it wouldn’t _kill him_ to simply stop at a house and ask if they were at least going in the right direction, they made to the small, welcoming house located in the near middle of the village.

Anna almost tripped trying to get out of the sled, and Kristoff grabbed her arm to slow her down, feeling his heart flutter as she grinned up sheepishly at him.

“Oops.”

Not wanting to inconvenience his friend more than necessary, Kristoff took to finding a place for the sled and unhooking Sven, bringing him to the stall Hendrik dictated to him the day before.

“Kristoff, hurry up!” Anna called impatiently, gesturing to the door with a wide smile on her face, obviously restless to get inside.

“I’m coming,” he called, tossing a couple carrots to Sven before realizing the multiple looks of confusion and awe coming from a few passerby, so he hurried to meet Anna at the door.

But before he could even knock, the door swung open and Hendrik stood inside. “Kristoff! You made it.”

“Sorry if we’re late,” Anna said before Kristoff could even respond. “ _Somebody_ wouldn’t ask for directions.”

“Princess Anna,” Hendrik smiled at her and dipped his head. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Just Anna, please! And no, the honor is all mine! You have no idea how excited I am to meet a friend of Kristoff’s! He really doesn’t have any friends, did you know that?”

“Can we come inside?” Kristoff interrupted, stopping whatever remark the other man was bound to make.

Hendrik smiled and stepped aside, gesturing them in.

The house was humble and warm and inviting.

Immediately, Kristoff could smell bread and the sound of loud, joyful children came from the back.

Anna gasped. “Kristoff, you didn’t tell me they had children.”

Hendrik gave him a strange glace, but Kristoff didn’t have much time to resister it as a woman came out from what was presumably the kitchen, a bundle in her arms and a gaggle of small children following behind her.

“Hendrik, are they – oh! Princess Anna, Kristoff, it’s so nice to finally meet you!”

Maria was taller than Anna with beautiful dark hair and skin, and she looked a bit weary around the eyes, but happy nonetheless.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Kristoff said, giving Maria a quick smile, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off the small boy who was hidden behind his mother’s skirts, glancing up at him with wide, wondering eyes.

“And just Anna, please – and it’s so wonderful to meet you – but _who_ is _this?_ ” Anna didn’t even bother to hide the squeal in her voice as she gazed at the baby wrapped in a small blanket.

Maria brightened and gently rocked the baby. “This is little Hanna.”

“Hi, Hanna,” Anna said, her hands pressed to her chest. “Oh, how old is she?”

“Three and a half months.” Maria grinned winder as Anna continued to coo over the baby. “She was our little surprise, but now that she’s here, I can’t imagine life without her, no I can’t, no I _can’t._ ” She was talking to the baby now, who garbled something in response and Anna squealed again.

“I told you this would be good for you,” Hendrik said by Kristoff’s ear before crouching down to the floor to hold his arms out for the boy who ran into them. “This is Jonas,” he said, standing back up to his full height, the boy held securely in one arm. “And this is Leah and Elise.” He nodded to the young girls standing by their mother.

“Say hello to Kristoff and Anna,” Maria said, reminding the children of their manners.

“Hi,” Elise said, grinning up at them and Leah nodded.

Jonas gave a shy wave in return.

Kristoff was sure Anna’s face might crack with how wide she was smiling as she waved and greeted each child individually.

Kristoff turned to Hendrik, who simply shrugged with a smug grin on his face.

Anna was back to the baby. “She’s so beautiful! She looks just like you. Could I…would it be okay if I held her for a moment?”

She was too enamored with the child to notice, and Kristoff nearly missed it too, but he saw a flash of mischief in Maria and Hendrick’s eyes as they stole a glance at each other.

The mother gladly handed the baby over and Anna held her with more care than Kristoff had ever seen her with anything.

“Dinner is nearly ready; Mama needs to finish up in the kitchen, so why don’t you girls go play with your father,” Maria said pointedly before giving Anna one more glance, her eyes going especially soft before she turned and headed to the back of the house.

The two small girls giggled and ran to their father, who yelled dramatically, playfully bouncing the small boy in his arms, causing him to giggle. “Oh, no! I’m being attacked!”

As the girls attached themselves to his long legs, shrieking in laughter as he pretended to shake them off, Kristoff turned to Anna.

She was watching the scene with pure joy, then she looked back down to the baby in her arms, beginning to walk in small circles as she talked to her.

“Anna?” Kristoff asked, not entirely sure what he wanted.

She looked up at him.

Kristoff’s words died in his throat.

Anna had the child close to her chest, arms wrapped protectively around it as she gently rocked her back and forth.

Her eyes were misty, but intense. Kristoff had never been on the sea, but he imagined looking into her eyes was the same feeling one got from being tossed into the vast ocean.

He had never seen such eyes, even though he had looked into them nearly every day for the past two years.

The sound of the laughing and screaming children faded into the background as the only sound he could hear was his own labored breathing.

He felt his stomach tighten as she looked up through her lashes, his heart set fire as she turned her head slightly to the left, asking a question without words.

Then, she blinked and turned away, and he felt his feet on solid ground once more.


	2. Chapter 2

The atmosphere after dinner was light with laughter and conversation.

Anna couldn’t stop smiling as Maria recounted the tale of how she and Hendrik met. The two girls sat between the older women on one side of the table while the men sat on the other.

“So, finally, after weeks of coming into the bakery, spending an inordinate amount of time in there, and never buying anything, my father finally went up to him and said ‘are you actually going to spend money this time or just stare at my daughter all day?’”

“In so many words he threatened to ban me,” Hendrik cut in.

“In exactly the right amount of words.”

“I guess so, because that finally made me work up the nerve to ask for a pastry. And her name,” he finished.

“And six years later…” Maria grinned and shrugged, gently shifting the baby resting in her arms.

“That’s so romantic!” Anna was practically beaming as she looked at Kristoff. He gave her a shy smile in return.

“Our first time meeting was basically the same,” he said and she laughed.

“Yeah, Kristoff was _just_ as charming.”

“Sure.” Hendrik grinned. “I’ll believe that as soon as angels fly out of my–”

Maria cleared her throat consciously and gestured to the boy sitting in her husband's lap.

“What? I was going to say mouth.”

“Of course you were.”

“Mama.” Leah looked up at her mother. “May we be excused?”

“Of course. Thank you for asking so politely.”

The girls slipped past Anna and ran up the stairs to the loft, their quick footed steps padding against the wood the way all kids’ did when they’ve been sitting at the adult table for way too long.

“They’re so sweet,” Anna said, listening to the sounds of their voices drift down to the main living area.

Jonas began squirming in his father’s lap and Hendrik looked down at him. “You want to go play, too?”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?” His fingers ticked the boy’s side and the high shrieks of laughter caused Anna to lose her breath.

As she glanced at Kristoff, she saw he was watching the scene next him with some of the softest eyes she’d ever seen. Sorrow and joy mixed in her stomach until the food she just ate threatened to come up. She swallowed it down, putting a smile back on her face even though goosebumps of disappointment ran along her arms.

“Yes please, papa!”

Hendrik placed a kiss against the boy’s cheek as the child squealed again. “Alright, there you go.” He placed him on the floor and he ran off in the direction of the hearth, pulling out wooden building blocks and spreading them over the floor.

“They’re wonderful.” Maria agreed with Anna’s statement. “A handful, but wonderful.”

“How old are they?” Kristoff asked, turning toward Maria.

“Leah’s five, Elise is four, and Jonas is three. You can see we had a trend going on for a bit. And then there’s little Hanna.” Maria glanced down at the baby, then looked at Anna. “You would think I’d have learned my lesson the first few times.”

Anna laughed as Hendrik protested. “Hey! It’s not my fault you’re so irresistible.”

“Hendrik! Not when company is here!” But she bit back a smile and the blush on her face was more flirtatious than embarrassed. Hendrik waved her off lightheartedly as she collected herself and turned toward Kristoff. “Would you like to hold her?”

“Oh! Uh–” But Maria was already holding out the baby to him, so Kristoff hesitantly reached over the small table and cautiously took her in his arms. “Oh,” he said again, breathing the word out. Anna felt her own breathing falter as he carefully, ever-so-gently, held the fragile child in his strong arms. “She...she’s so small.” His voice was quiet, and he didn’t look away from the child.

“She’s actually much bigger than Jonas was. He was a tiny little thing when he was first born. But at the rate he’s growing, I’ll bet he’ll be as tall as his father.”

“Taller, for sure.” Hendrik nodded approvingly.

But Anna barely noticed anything around her as she stared at Kristoff. Her husband glanced up, caught her eye, and took a breath like he was going to say something. Instead, he just let it out and looked away from her guiltily. Anna couldn’t help the tears that began to prick at the back of her eyes.

“Hendrik.” Maria suddenly spoke louder than she had all night, drawing attention to her. “Did you feed Aksel yet? You know how cranky that horse gets when he’s hungry.”

“Oh, no–”

“You should go do that. Kristoff probably needs to feed...um–”

Kristoff finally looked up at his name. “What?”

“Come on.” Hendrik patted his friend’s shoulder as he stood up. “The women are kicking us out.”

“Take the kids with you, please.”

Kristoff stood up as well, never releasing his hold on the child as Hendrik when to the stairs. “You girls want to pet a reindeer?”

“ _What?_ ” The sound of small, pounding feet hit the floor as they ran down the steps.

Kristoff looked down at Anna before taking another glance at the baby. “Here. Can you take her?” Their hands and arms touched as he carefully transferred the baby to her, but it was the meeting of their eyes that caused Anna to breakout in another fit of goosebumps.

When the men took the children outside and closed the door, Maria immediately turned to Anna. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Dear, you’re crying.”

A tear fell from the rim of her eye as Anna tried to blink them back. “It’s fine. I’m…”

Maria placed a warm, comforting hand on Anna’s back. “It’s alright. You can be upset.”

At that, Anna took a shuddering breath and she held Hanna closer, looking down at the big brown eyes staring curiously up at her. “I just don’t understand why he doesn’t want this.” More tears fell and she sniffed, trying to hold herself together. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to ruin your night.”

“Anna.” It was so direct that Anna had no choice but to look at the other woman. “You’re not ruining anything. I’ve been where you are; I know it’s hard. But trust me, he does want this. He really, _really_ does.”

Anna shook her head, then started when Hanna began to squirm and fuss. “Oh no, I think I’m holding her wrong, I’m so sorry.”

This time, Maria shook her head. “She’s just hungry. Do you mind if I feed her?”

“Of course not! Not at all.” Anna felt her tears lessen as she watched with interest as Maria finagled her way out of part of the top of her dress, taking back the baby and helping it latch to one of her breasts. “Oh, so that’s how you do it.”

“It takes some practice, but I’ve had more than enough of it. And every baby’s different.” Maria smiled, gently caressed Hanna’s head, then turned her kind, understanding eyes to Anna. “Motherhood isn’t easy. Not by far. Parenting isn’t easy, but it’s so incredibly rewarding. It’s certainly not for everyone. But if someone wants a child, then I pray they have one, have many, in one way or another.”

“What–” Anna cleared her throat, trying to get her words out. “What if you want a baby, but your husband doesn’t?”

“Well, I’d say that would be an issue, but luckily, you don’t have that problem since your husband absolutely does.”

Anna sighed, looked down at her hands under the table. “He _says_ he does, but he never wants to talk about it. He keeps saying ‘someday’, but one day it’s going to be too late.”

“Oh, the ‘someday’ line.” She took a deep breath. “Look, I know this isn’t my business, so tell me if I’m pushing any boundaries, but I know for a fact that Kristoff wants a family just as badly as you do. Hendrik told me.”

Anna paused, then looked back up. “What?”

“Kristoff told Hendrik about...the _baby_ thing. He wants one, Anna. He probably wants multiple. But he’s just scared. Terrified, actually.”

“...what?” Anna wasn’t upset anymore. She was suddenly _furious._ “So he just thought it was okay to let me think that he’s fine with putting it off? He’ll confess his fears to someone else, but not to me? I’m his _wife._ ” She was livid, confused, and elated all at once. Kristoff wanted a baby. _He wanted a baby!_ He wanted to start a family with her. And not just someday, but soon. But he was too afraid to tell her that he was afraid? Bullshit.

“That’s the problem. He’s a man, Anna. He won’t admit it to you when something scares him so much it petrifies him.”

“That’s so stupid!”

“I know! You think Hendrik wasn’t the same? He said we weren’t ready, but is anyone truly ready for their first child? We were married, settled, and we had talked about it plenty of times before.”

Anna saw her own story reflected back at her. “So how did you get him to do it?” She was on the edge of her seat, anger turning to hope.

“Well, I softened him up with a trip to visit my nieces and nephews. I think that was when he began to realize just how much he wanted his own. Then I confronted him about it. I didn’t drop it until he confessed the entire truth to me. And look at us now – four and counting.”

“And counting?”

“Hendrik’s already talking about another one.” Maria rolled her eyes as she shook her head and smiled. “I already told him he’s going to have to wait at least two years.”

Anna was silent as she thought, ingesting everything Maria said. “Thank you, Maria. So, so much.”

“I heard the royal couple was nice, but...you are such a kind soul, Anna. You and Kristoff. I wish only the best for you.”

Anna would have hugged her if Maria didn’t have a baby attached to her chest. “I’m so glad Kristoff met Hendrik so I could meet you.”

Maria smiled at her and Anna smiled back as she thought, coming up with a plan of her own.

\------

After the children were put to bed and goodbyes were said, Kristoff hitched up the sled and they were off, heading back home.

Anna had offered for them to come to the palace next time, but Maria declined, stating that she’d much rather they come back to their house. The idea of her children running wild and breaking everything in sight was a bit too much for her.

Anna was excited for their next visit, but she was quiet as they rode, thinking to herself about just how she was going to get Kristoff to admit his fears. They were going to talk about it like adults. And then they were going to make a baby. Like adults.

They left the village and crossed back into the forest, trees lining the trail on each side. She watched them whip by.

“Anna?”

“Huh?” She broke out of her thoughts as she realized Kristoff was talking to her.

“I asked if you had a good time.”

“Oh! Absolutely! Maria is so sweet. And Hendrik is great, too. And, oh, their children…” she trailed off, hoping Kristoff would get her hint and pick up the conversation.

“Yeah…” He shifted on the bench, still staring straight ahead. “They’re all pretty great.” There was a beat. “Dinner was really good, too. I didn’t even know fish could taste like that.”

“Okay, that’s it. Pull over,” Anna commanded.

“What?”

“Pull over.”

“We need to get home–”

“Kristoff,” she said in her rarely used no-nonsense voice, “pull over right now or I swear to God–”

He pulled over.

The summer’s evening breeze blew over them as Anna climbed down from the sled.

“What are you doing?” Kristoff asked from atop it. “Anna, come on. Get back in.”

“No, Kristoff. We’re going to talk. And you know I think better standing up. Let’s go.” She turned and walked into the trees, ignoring Kristof as he called out to her.

“Anna, wait! Where are you going?” He jumped down and followed her into the woods.

She kept walking, seemingly deaf to his requests for her to stop.

“What are you doing? Anna, stop–”

She turned on him, figuring they were far enough into the woods to have complete privacy. “I want you to look at me, Kristoff. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t want that!”

“Want _what?_ ”

“What Hendrik and Maria have! A baby – _children,_ Kristoff! They have a family.” She got quiet, sadness overpowering any anger or annoyance. “Why don’t you want to start a family with me?”

“Anna,” he stepped closer, reached for her, but she pulled away. He signed, clearly holding his frustration back. “I told you–”

“I don’t want to hear ‘someday’. I don’t want to hear that we’re not ready. I don’t want to hear your lies and excuses because you’re too scared to tell me the truth!”

“ _What?_ ” Kristoff looked around exasperated, as if she wasn’t making any sense. “I am _not_ scared, I just think that–”

“And there it is: another lie.”

“I don’t–”

“I know what you said to Hendrik. Maria told me.”

Kristoff froze, began to argue again, then gave up, sighing as he closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

“So don’t make up any more excuses. And _talk_ to me.”

“Fine.” He almost bit out the word, looking at her for a split second before turning his head down. “I’m scared. I am _so_ scared, Anna. Is that what you want to hear?”

“ _Yes!_ ”

He looked back at her, his brown eyes conveying his pain and embarrassment. “I’m terrified that I won’t know how to be a good father, alright? I never had one! If we have kids, I mean...what if I mess them up, huh? What if I do something to hurt them? I’m scared to have a child counting on me for _everything._ Because I cann _ot_ fail, Anna! I just can’t.”

Suddenly feeling overwhelmed in only the best way, Anna took a few steps towards him and gently gripped his face in her hands. Her heart swelled with the love she had for him and the fear she knew he was pushing through. “You’re talking as if you have to do it alone – I’m _right_ here, Kristoff. We’re going to figure it out together. And we’re not going to fail; we’re going to stumble, sure. And, yeah, we’ll probably mess up a lot, but we’ll do it together. And we’re going to raise the best damn kid in all of Arendelle.”

Kristoff gently took her hands away from his face and held them in his. “That’s another thing. Our child, our children, they’re going to be the _heirs_ to Arendelle. I mean, how can I…?”

“No, don’t do that.” Anna shook her head and intertwined their fingers. “What am I to you, Kristoff? When you look at me, what do you see?”

The sincerity in his eyes nearly knocked her over. “My wife. You are the love of my life, Anna.”

She wanted to kiss him then, but she wasn’t quite done. “And I’m the Princess second to all of that, right?”

“You’re the Princess last to me.”

“Exactly. It will be the same way for our child. I don’t care if everyone looks at them and sees the heir. We will see them as _ours._ We’ll be the ones who get to watch them grow up, find out their personalities, walk them through questions and discoveries and – Kristoff – doesn’t that sound really exciting? We’d get to do that together. And I think it’s safe to say we make a pretty good team.”

Kristoff raised her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles softly. Anna felt a wonderful shiver run down her back. “...I’m scared it will change us. That it will change what we have.”

“It _will_ change us. It will change everything, but in the best way. I want to go through those changes with you. I want to do this with you. Kristoff, I want to start a family with you; only you.”

Before she knew it, Kristoff’s hands released hers and he cupped her face in his wide palms, bringing his lips down to hers with such warmth and love that Anna immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to get as close to him as possible. “I’m sorry,” he said as he pulled back an inch. “God,” he breathed out a laugh before kissing her again. “You’re so fearless.”

“I’m nervous, too. But I trust myself, and I trust you. Do you trust me?”

“More than anything.”

“Then let’s make a family, Kristoff. I love you.”

“Anna.” He kissed her again, full and deep, then pulled her in so close that her feet left the ground as he hugged her. “I love you _so_ much.” Anna felt his sharp laugh rise through his chest. “Let’s do it – let’s make a family.”

Anna screamed in his ear as she tightened her grip, her happiness unrestricted and wild. “Let’s make a family!” she said again once her feet were on the ground and she practically vibrated from excitement. This time she kissed him, Kristoff’s arms continuing to hold her against him, too happy to let her go.

Their mouths parted and their hands wandered as they deepened the kiss, the heat and passion causing an unconscious moan to travel up Anna’s throat. “A family,” she sighed as Kristoff’s lips found her neckline. “Let’s start now, Kristoff. Right now.”

His eyes found hers. “Right now?”

“Right _right_ now.” Anna nearly tackled him to the ground, but Kristoff was more than glad to follow. She ended up over him, straddling his lap as he pulled her down to kiss her again.

Kristoff bit her lip and she let out another moan. “Is this why you pulled me out into the woods?” But his smile and expression told her he didn’t mind one bit.

“It was the end goal, yes.” Anna had to force herself to pull away as she sat up, looking into his eyes as she swiftly reached for the buttons on his pants. “Put a baby in me, Kristoff.”

Something changed in his eyes and he flipped her over, covering her small, pleading body with his. Anna continued to work on his buttons as Kristoff shoved up her skirts. “Only with you, Anna. Only ever with you.”

And nothing else mattered but the two of them as he entered her, as they moved as one, as Anna felt him finish inside her when they came together on the forest floor in the twilight.

They could only look at each other and smile, laugh, and hold each other close, so close.

Anna grinned up into the sky as she stroked Kristoff’s hair, knowing that something new was beginning.

\------

Kristoff couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he went to work the next morning. He had finally opened himself up to the possibility of being a father, all thanks to Anna of course, and now he was feeling the sudden excitement and anxiety that he supposed followed such a revelation.

“Hendrik!” he called out when he dismounted his sled and saw his friend unhitching his horse from a wagon.

“He–”

“We’re gonna do it!” Kristof wasn’t one to blurt out his personal business, but he was so excited in a way he had never been before that he suddenly needed to tell someone everything. “Anna and I are trying for a kid.”

“A-ha!” Hendrik pulled the other man into an extremely tight hug and clapped him on the back. “I knew it!”

“How?” Kristoff pulled away, smiling in disbelief. “How did you know last night would work? I mean…”

“Maria pulled it on me when we first married,” Hendrik explained. “I was too frightened to even consider a child at first. When the holidays came around, she suggested we visit her brother down south. He and his wife have three kids. I got to see them bond with each other and realized I wanted that. Back then, their youngest was still a baby, and when I held him, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I mean, if I felt that feeling of love and protection over a child that wasn’t even mine, I couldn’t imagine how holding mine would feel. But I wanted to know. I wanted to live it.”

“Thank you,” Kristoff said suddenly, immediately.

“It wasn’t just me; Maria’s the one who told Anna not to let you get away with pushing it to the side anymore.”

“ _Definitely_ thank her for that. Anna wasn’t going to let me slide anymore. I really needed her to get my ass in motion.”

“If anyone could do that, it’s your wife.”

“I’m...kind of a coward without her, aren’t I?”

“Nah.” Hendrik shrugged, then bobbed his head. “Well, maybe a bit. But aren’t we all? Hey, I spent a month in a bakery before I could even talk to Maria. I say you’ve done pretty well.”

“At least I was never that bad.”

“At least I didn’t smell like reindeer when I met her.”

Kristoff pulled off his friend’s cap and tossed it good-naturedly. “Anna happens to _like_ my reindeer smell.”

“She just tells you that because she loves you. I hope for her sake the baby doesn’t come out with antlers.” Hendrik laughed and went to retrieve his cap.

Kristoff was about retort that that didn’t even make sense because baby reindeer don’t even _have_ antlers, but the words died in his throat as the thought of Anna and their future baby filled his mind once more. Sven snorted at his side and Kristoff imagined putting a child on his back, laughing along with them as they rode around in small circles. And he couldn’t hide his smile.

In fact, he was so unusually cheerful, he didn’t see the inquisitive glances of the other harvesters or their whispers of _what’s got him grinning like an idiot?_

All the way home, Kristoff was jumpy and excited and all he wanted to do was see Anna. He ate on the way, knowing he would miss dinner, so as soon as Sven was settled in the stables, he rushed to their room.

He opened the door and smiled when he spied Anna, sitting up under the covers and reading a book in bed. She looked toward the door and smiled at him. Her hair shone orange in the yellow lamplight and the red firelight. Their entire room shone a warm gold.

“Hi, honey.”

Kristoff nearly ran over to her, thought about his reindeer smell, then decided against it. He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Hey. I’m going to take a bath; I smell pretty bad.”

“No, you smell like Sven.”

“Exactly.” He kissed between her eyebrows and left her at the bed, heading into the bathroom.

Kristoff closed his eyes as he soaked in the tub, letting the warm water melt away the sweat and stress of the day. He heard the door open to his left, then opened his eyes again, looking toward the sound.

Anna closed the door behind her, already undoing the buttons on her nightgown. “I think I need a bath, too,” she said as she let the nightdress fall to the floor.

The water felt scalding as she climbed in with him, kissing him as she let her newly slick body slide against his.

Kristoff thought the bath might’ve been the best idea he’d ever had.

\------

As the days turned into weeks, sex became a fun routine for Anna. She wanted a baby goddammit, so she took every opportunity they had to make one.

Since the summer months were especially busy for the harvesters, Anna would wait for Kristoff to get home later than usual, meeting him in the stables or their room with a surprise she’d spent some time thinking up.

One of her favorites was when she went to the stables late one night with nothing on but a cloak, claiming to be cold and asking him to warm her up. If Kristoff was tired after his long day, he didn’t show it and his stamina wasn’t affected _at all._

Or when she pulled him into the library, claiming she had something to show him, but the show she put on for him wasn’t learnt from any book. She certainly didn’t bend over a table just to show him good sentence structure.

The days when Kristoff didn’t have to work, he slept by her side into the late morning. Anna would wake up to the feeling of his lips on her shoulder, her neck. She’d smile as his hands, which were securely holding her against him, traveled downward, opening an invitation for slow, lazy, loving passion in the morning sun.

And yet, nothing happened.

“I don’t get it,” Anna said, pounding into the dough with more force than was necessary. Hendrik and Maria’s house was bright with the summer sun, and children’s shrieks and laughter came from the other room, but she felt completely disheartened. “We’re together like _all the time_ , how come nothing’s happened yet?”

Maria secured the baby in the wrap around her torso and gently took the dough out from under Anna’s hands, not wanting to have to start from scratch. “You shouldn’t worry, dear. It’s only been about a month.”

“You’re right, I’m just…” she sighed, not knowing how to end her thought. She gestured apologetically to the dough Maria had slid away from her on the table. “Sorry about that - I’m not really good at cooking. Or baking. Or...anything, really.”

“Well that’s just a ridiculous statement. There’s no way I could handle whatever it is you do with the Queen. I worked in my family’s bakery for over half my life, it makes sense why I’d know how to do this, right? Plus, it’s all just practice. I wasn’t great at cooking, for example, but I got better after the kids came along.”

“You do both wonderfully.”

Maria smiled at her gratefully. “Thank you. I’d love to get back into baking one day. I don’t do it as much anymore.”

“Why don’t you get back into it?” Anna asked as loud yelling and the sound of stomping feet picked up outside the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, give me a moment.” Maria walked to the door, poking her head out of the tiny kitchen. “No running in the house, you two! Elise, stop fighting with your brother, you have to _share._ Sorry,” she said again as she double checked Hanna’s wrap and joined Anna back in the kitchen, “what did you say?”

“I was asking why you don’t get back into baking if you love it so much. I saw a really nice bakery in town coming over today.”

“Oh, well.” She looked down at the sleeping baby against her chest. “I have four children. Three of which aren’t old enough for schooling yet. So, I need to be here, at least for now.”

Anna hadn’t even thought of that; she hadn’t even realized. Maria, like most women, had to go at it alone when their husbands weren’t home. Although she didn’t like being treated like one, Anna _was_ a princess. Whenever a child eventually did come along, she’d have all the help she could ever need. An entire kitchen staff, private tutors, nursemaids, doctors, an entire castle workforce. She never had to cook or clean or do the washing. If she wanted too, not that she would _ever_ want to, she could have a baby, pass it off to someone else, and practically never even see it. She wanted a child so badly, she didn’t even realize how easy it would be for her to take care of one. “I’m so sorry,” Anna said, feeling privileged and guilty. “I didn’t mean...I didn’t even think of why…”

“Anna, it’s alright.” And with the tone of her voice and the kind look in her eyes, Maria really did make it sound okay. “I don’t mind that much. Yes, it can be completely overwhelming at times, but they’re my children. I want to be here for them.”

“It must be difficult,” Anna said honestly.

“It is. Dirty, messy, loud, but I don’t regret a single thing. They’re my heart. And I’m just trying to appreciate the time now before they all get to be teenagers. I was certainly no picnic for my parents when I got to that age.” Maria smiled as she began kneading dough in a calm, practiced way.

Anna felt a pang of hurt as she thought about her childhood and teenage tantrums that her parents and sister weren’t there for. That no one was there for. She was going to be there for her children, no matter how ridiculous their hissy fit seemed. They would be heard just as much as she wanted to be heard.

“Maria…” Anna began, wanting to thank the woman again. It was new to have someone, a friend, who she could talk so openly about this with. As much as she loved Elsa, and she loved her with her whole heart, she needed someone who understood what she was going through. What she wanted.

A loud noise came through the door, likely the result of something being thrown or dropped, and the sound caused baby Hanna to cry. Maria left the dough on the table, gently shushing the child as she bounced her. “What was that?” she shouted into the other room, only to get a quick reply.

“Nothing!” The two kids said in unison.

“Jesus, Mary, and –” Maria mumbled to herself, then cut herself off. As she looked back at Anna, she rolled her eyes, and the younger woman laughed.

Just as they went back to the previously forgotten dough, Elise walked into the kitchen, her dark curls falling into her eyes as she pushed them back. “Mama, Jonas is peeing in the pot again.”

“Dear Lord, give me strength.” Maria rushed out the door as Anna followed, where Jonas was, in fact, squatting in a flower pot, next to which a plant was laying on the floor.

“Let me help,” Anna said. “Please.”

The smile she got in return was grateful. “Thank you.” Maria took Hanna out of the wrap and handed the still-crying infant to Anna.

“Jonas! That’s the _flower_ pot! Not the–” As she rushed over to the potty confused toddler, Anna gently shushed the baby, rocking her in her arms.

She looked down at the girl by her side and Elise gave her a large smile complete with a wide gap between her two front teeth. Through all the chaos, Anna couldn’t help but smile back.

\------

“Do you really have to go?” Anna asked, curling her fingers through the hair on Kristoff’s chest.

“It’s only two days,” he assured, kissing the top of her head and stroking his hand down her bare back.

“Yeah, but that’s two days you could be with me.”

“When I get back,” Kristoff said, holding her close and sliding his hand up to tug at strands of her messy, beautiful hair, “we’ll spend all day in bed...or the tub…or on the floor...”

“Or Elsa’s study,” Anna giggled, looking up at him.

“Oh, God, never again. She almost caught us –”

“But she didn’t!”

“But if she did, she would have turned me into a block of ice, and you know it.”

“No, she’d wait until you gave her a niece or nephew first, _then_ she’d turn you into a block of ice.”

It was silent for a moment as Kristoff took in what Anna said. She was back to absentmindedly stroking his chest, her brows slightly creased as if in major thought. “Hey.” He gently tugged on her hair, turning her head up to him. “Soon, alright? I can feel it.”

Anna smiled and gave him a final kiss before he had to leave the comfort and warmth of their bed. “Soon.”

Nights on the mountain were cold, no matter the season, and as Kristoff huddled against the late-night fire, all he wanted was to be cuddled next to Anna, her warmth spreading over him until it covered every inch of his body.

“Hey,” Hendrik said, plopping down next to him with a napkin in his hand. “Maria wanted me to give this to you.” He handed it over, and Kristoff took the small bundle, opening it up to find fruit filled tarts on the white linen.

“God bless her,” Kristoff said, immediately picking up one of the pastries and taking a generous bite out of it. “...oh my _God._ ”

“I know, right?” Hendrik took one himself before Kristoff could stop him.

“I thought you said these were for me?”

“One can be for you, the other three are for me.”

“Yeah, right.” Kristoff quickly took another one to split it evenly. He looked into the fire as he chewed, lost in his thoughts. He thought of the time Anna tried to bake for him and Elsa herself, and accidentally gave them food poisoning instead. He smiled. “You know, it’s weird. I used to love harvesting trips.”

“Now you can’t wait to get home, right?” Hendrik nodded understandingly. “I was the same. Wait until you have a little one – it gets worse. I always feel so bad leaving her alone with them.” Kristoff was silent, letting his friend speak. “I know I’m gone a lot, so I always make sure to pick up the responsibility when I’m home. My father worked a lot,” he suddenly said, speaking more to himself than to Kristoff. “It was to provide for us, I know that, but that didn’t make him being gone any easier. I want to make sure my kids know me.”

“They love you, even I can see that.”

“You say that as if you’re blind to love.”

“Not anymore. I used to be.”

“Well,” Hendrik shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but his eyes held emotion that Kristoff couldn’t even begin to comprehend. “Like I said, wait until a little one comes along. It’s stronger than you could ever imagine.”

“What is?”

“Love.”

\------

Even as the weeks went by, Kristoff grinned as he reached the door to their bedroom, fully expecting to find Anna waiting for him in the bath or the bed, or possibly in front of the fire. She was probably wearing something extremely thin or (preferably) nothing at all. He already felt his heart racing in anticipation as he opened the door, but was surprised to find her fully dressed in her day clothes and sitting on the edge of their bed, sniffling.

“Anna?” He immediately shut the door and ran to her, crouching by the side of the bed. “Anna, are you okay?” She sniffed again and roughly brushed a tear from her eye as she continued to look toward the floor. Kristoff gently took her head in his hands. “Baby, look at me. What’s wrong?”

Anna suddenly shook her head and took a shuttering breath. “No, Kristoff. _No_ baby, that’s what’s wrong.” She paused as she looked at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I began bleeding this morning. _Again._ It’s been three months! How have we not…?”

“Hey,” he said softly, standing up before joining her on the bed. He carefully placed her in his lap, holding her body close to his. “It’s alright,” he spoke into her hair. “This takes time; it doesn’t always happen right away.”

“It’s just so _frustrating._ ” Anna curled her fist into his coat as she spoke. “We finally got on the same page to move forward, and now we’re stuck again.”

“We’re not stuck. We have plenty of time.”

“Then why does it feel like it’s never going to happen?”

“It’s different for everyone. You know, it can take some couples like six months to conceive. Or a year.”

“A _year?_ ” Panicked, Anna looked up at him.

“Not a year!” He backpedaled, trying to calm her. “It won’t take us a year. I just mean that we have to be patient.”

“Yeah, well,” Anna angled her head down again, “I’m sick and tired of patience.”

Kristoff pulled back his head slightly so he could angle her chin up to face him. “Anna, listen to me. We’re going to have a baby. We’re going to have _a lot_ of babies. In fact, we’re going to have so many that the only things we’ll be able to think about for the rest of our lives will be poop and vomit.”

She snorted, smacking him playfully where her hand was previously clenched on his chest. “Gross!” But she smiled and the squint in her eyes shifted from sorrow to delight.

“I mean it – we will never sleep again. We’ll be continuously exhausted and stressed and so, so happy.” He smiled as she slid her arms behind his neck.

“Yeah? And how many are we thinking?”

“At least thirty, obviously. Enough for a small army.”

Anna laughed again and rolled her eyes. “I was gonna say more like three to six.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but kiss her softly, grinning against Anna’s matching smile as their lips met. “Three to six is perfect,” he said as he pulled back and she tucked her head under his chin.

“I hope they have your eyes,” Anna said, and Kristoff could feel the turn of her cheek as she smiled, pressed up against his chest. She gave a soft sigh. “And your loyalty. To yourself and others. They’ll know how to advocate for themselves.”

“They’ll have your compassion,” Kristoff added. “Your spirit. Definitely your sense of adventure – we’ll never be able to stop them.”

“Good.” Anna looked back up at him. “Kristoff, promise me that if – _when_ – we have a child, we won’t trap them. In any way. Ever. They won’t feel stuck like they have no freedom, no future, or no one to turn to. They will never be lonely or lost or shut out.”

“Our children will not grow up the way you or I did,” Kristoff swore. “They’ll know they’re loved. Just as much as I love you.”

“Kristoff…” When Anna kissed him, it was warm and soft and full of all the love she had to give, which was quite a lot.

Kristoff pulled her closer to him when she broke away, pulling her into a hug even though she was still situated on his lap. “I cannot _wait_ to start a family with you.”

“You’re going to be an amazing father.”

_Father._ Even though it wasn’t happening yet, Kristoff felt uncharacteristically giddy hearing the word. He stared into space, smiling wildly before he even realized Anna had pulled back and was saying his name.

“-toff? Kristoff?”

“Oh! Sorry. Just thinking.”

Anna gave him a kiss on the cheek and played with the hair on his nape. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Anything.” He would’ve swum across twelve frozen fjords and climbed twenty mountains if she asked him to.

“I was too upset to eat dinner, but now I’m really hungry. Would you bring me some food?”

Kristoff laughed and kissed her forehead. “Of course.” He placed her back on the bed and stood up, ready to make his way to the door.

“And chocolate, please?”

“Naturally.”

“And when you come back can we cuddle more? My cramps are pretty bad and you’re super warm. And also I love you!”

Kristoff swiftly went back to the bed and placed another deep kiss on her lips before turning for the door again. “Body heat coming right up.”

When he returned with a tray of food and a cup of herbal tea, Anna had changed into a nightgown and was under the covers, blankets pulled up to her chin. “Bless you,” she said as she sat up. Kristoff placed the tray on the bed, the tea on the bedside table, and got a kiss in return. He quickly changed out of his mountain gear and joined her under the covers.

They sat up in bed, Kristoff holding Anna against his side as they ate, with Anna speaking through full bites. “What do you think of the names Alf for a boy and Ingrid for a girl?”

“I like Ingrid. Alf? No way.”

“But I found a turtle once when I was little and named him that.”

“You want to name our kid after a turtle?”

“Not _after_ him,” Anna said, picking up a bit of chicken off a plate and popping it into her mouth. “I just think it’s a good name!”

“Veto.”

“Well, what are some that you like?”

“You know, I was playing around with Kristoff and Anna Jr.”

“Veto! Veto!” They both laughed as Anna stuffed a roll in his face. “I hope they don’t inherit your sense of humor,” she giggled.

“I hope we don’t end up with grandkids named after reptiles one day.”

“Oh, grandkids!” Anna squealed excitedly. “What do you think they’ll be like?”

“Let’s just start with our own.” Kristoff grinned down at her. “One at a time.”

Anna plucked a chocolate truffle off the tray and lifted it between her thumb and index finder as she turned to Kristoff. “A toast to our future family. We will love the bits they get from you, the bits they get from me, and the bits that are all their own.” She took a bite of the chocolate and licked her lips before holding the sweet out to him.

“To our future family,” he repeated. “Here’s to hoping they don’t get my nose.” He took a bite as Anna frowned.

“I happen to love your nose.” She leaned up and kissed it before stuffing the rest of the dessert into her mouth. “I happen to love all of you.”

“I happen to love all of you, too.”

“Finally we agree on something!” Smiling, Anna leaned over to the bedside table and took a sip of her tea before putting the cup back. “Imagine telling your family when it happens.”

“Oh, God.” Kristoff shook his head, but laughed. “They’re going to lose their minds.”

“Bulda’s going to cry. I’ve never seen a troll cry before.”

“I have; it’s not pretty.”

Anna snorted out a laugh and snuggled back into Kristoff’s side. “I can’t _wait._ To tell them, to tell Elsa, to just have a family. Not that I don’t love the family we have now,” she explained, “but I can’t wait to add to it.”

“Me neither. Don’t worry, it’ll happen.”

“I can’t wait,” she said again.

\------

It was common knowledge that the Princess liked to go fast, but as she sped down the halls, people nearly threw themselves against the wall to avoid a collision.

Anna tossed apologies over her shoulder, but she refused to slow down; Kristoff would be home any minute.

Her cycle was late. Two months late.

At first, she didn’t think too much of it, as she’d already had many false alarms that had dampened her spirit. But as the weeks wore on and she still didn’t bleed, she grew more hopeful each day. She didn’t say a word to anyone though; she didn’t want to get overly excited for nothing.

Then she started vomiting up her breakfast: just one glance at the eggs she usually loved caused her to retch. Her stomach had felt so sensitive that she could barely keep anything down some days.

Kristoff was usually always gone by the time she ate in the morning, so she could keep her condition to herself. Part of her was didn’t want to contact the physician like she had so many times before. She didn’t know how much disappointment she could take, so she told herself it was a stomach bug before Elsa began to notice.

“This is the third time this week you’ve bolted from the dining room like you were on fire,” Elsa said as she entered Anna’s room earlier that day to find her younger sister curled under her covers. “What’s going on with you?”

Anna squinted in the mid-morning light. “I keep throwing up. Sorry, I know that’s gross.” She sat up as she clutched her still churning stomach. “I…I probably caught something from the market the other day. I know you told me to stop touching everything, but-”

Gently sitting on the side of the large bed, Elsa looked directly at her younger sister. “When was your last bleed?”

“Oh, um…a few weeks ago. Maybe.” Anna bit her lip, knowing her sister would come to the conclusion that she herself didn’t dare hope for.

“’A few weeks’ meaning what? Three? Six?”

“…eight?” As a grin spread on Elsa’s face, Anna shook her head. “ _No._ I know what you’re going to say – I’m not going to bother the doctor again. I’m annoying him to death; I’m annoying _myself_ to death.”

“Anna.”

“It’s probably just stress, y’know? I can practically recite Doctor Moland’s speech about how stress affects all, well, _this_ stuff and I _really_ don’t need to hear it again.”

“Anna.”

“I mean, because if we call him and he comes and it’s _nothing_ like it always is then what’s the point y’know? There probably is no point so I might as well just wait. Actually, I’m feeling a lot better I probably just need to–”

“Anna,” Elsa said for the third time. She stood up and it was clear she was trying to hold back a smile. “I’m not trying to get you excited again, but…I’m getting Doctor Moland!” She rushed out of the room and Anna groaned as she stood up, felt another wave of nausea, and sat back down.

The royal physician was a kind man, but Anna knew she was wearing his patience thin. It didn’t help that she had a dream about a baby reindeer a few weeks ago and went to pester him about what it meant. Apparently, it just meant that she had a dream about a baby reindeer.

She really, _really_ wanted this to be _it,_ but what if it wasn’t? She didn’t want another blow of disappointment. She knew she wasn’t the world’s most patient princess, but they’ve been trying for a baby for five months! Maybe she should just raise ducks or something. She liked ducklings.

But then it wasn’t long, not long at all, when the doctor arrived and _finally_ told Anna the thing she’d been waiting for.

She was in the family way.

She cried, Elsa cried, Doctor Moland seemed pleased, but was clearly anticipating all the questions Anna would certainly have for him _now._

There would be a formal announcement of course, but that could wait. Anna had more important things to do like yell in joy with her sister, have a momentary freak out, immediately get excited again, and go tell Gerda and Kai and obviously Olaf needed to know he was getting a…cousin? Kind of? And oh! Of course there was Agatha in the kitchens and Anna was sure Rolf was probably in the stables and Sigrid had to be around there somewhere and oh gosh she couldn’t wait to tell Maria and –

Soon the castle buzzed with the news: The Princess was going to have a baby.

All Anna could focus on was her joy and how in the world she was going to tell Kristoff. She wanted it to be special.

There were still hours before he would be home, and she wasted most of them writing out grand schemes or practicing speeches. All of those plans ended up crumpled on the floor.

She thought about Kristoff’s proposal. How simple it was. How perfect. _That’s_ how she should tell him. Just the two – no – three of them.

After thinking for another few moments, she took a trip up to the attic.

Rustling through boxes of her old things, dresses from when she was a little girl and mountains of dolls and hair ribbons – and _wow_ her parents didn’t want to throw anything away – she found what she was looking for. Her old baby blanket.

Her mother had always been skilled at nålebinding, and the tiny blanket was just as beautiful as ever. The soft pink was duller due to time, but it was just as soft as she remembered.

Growing up, Anna had a million blankets and covers and sheets made of lace and satin and the finest materials, but her little pink blanket was always her favorite. When she got too big to sleep under it, she slept with it. She wondered how it ended up in the attic. Sliding the fabric between her fingers, she went back down the stairs and into her room.

Sitting by the window, she looked down to the blanket curled in her hands. She couldn’t stop smiling.

\------

When it began to get dark, then darker, Anna began her sprint down the halls, her spirit flying faster than her feet. Reaching the steps down one of the side doors, she ran across the courtyard. The red and yellow leaves crunched nosily under her feet. She didn’t even notice the autumn wind whip at her face.

Entering the stables, Anna went straight to the stall saved for Kristoff’s sled and sat on a bench, her heart pounding in her chest.

Pulling through the castle gates, Kristoff greeted the castle staff as he passed them. They seemed…unusually chipper. Not that people were typically unhappy, but everyone had this huge smile on their face. He shrugged it off; it was probably the nice weather. Autumn always was his favorite season.

Hopping down from the sled, Kristoff gave Sven a pat on the muzzle and lead him to the side of the stables where he stored his sled. The addition looked slightly newer than the rest of the building and it was fairly private, which had been especially wonderful in the past few months.

Speaking of privacy, Kristoff broke out in a smile when he saw Anna waiting on the bench. “Hey, you.”

Anna was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice when her husband slid open the door. “Kristoff!” She jumped up and tackled him in a hug before he even crossed the threshold.

Maybe it was the lamplight, but when Anna pulled back and Kristoff gazed down at her smiling face, he swore she was glowing. He was going to make a joke, comment how he was literally only gone for the day, but he found he couldn’t do anything but hold her closer and kiss her.

Curling her fingers in his coat, Anna responded readily, suddenly feeling lightheaded and pressing herself as close to him as she possibly could. She had a plan dammit, but he was such a wonderful distraction.

Sven nudged Kristoff’s shoulder, clearly tired of waiting outside, causing the couple to break apart. “Okay, okay.” Kristoff rolled his eyes, then smiled and grabbed Anna’s hand in his, leading them and the impatient reindeer inside. “Let me just get him settled and I’ll be right back,” he said, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

“O – okay.” Anna wanted to tell him _now,_ but she knew how much he didn’t like anyone else handling Sven, although he always claimed Sven was the one who had the issue. Either way, Anna let Kristoff unhook the reindeer and walk him back to the main part of the stables.

She couldn’t help the smile spreading on her face as she heard him talk to the animal when he thought she couldn’t hear. It was about ten minutes of bribing the creature with carrots before he came back by his sled, tossing his pack in the back of it and immediately went back over to Anna.

“Sorry about that; he’s the biggest baby on the planet sometimes. Being really difficult tonight.”

Anna paused at the word ‘baby’, still trying to come to terms that it was _actually_ happening.

“Anyway,” Kristoff pulled her to him and grinned at her. “Where were we?” But before she let him kiss her again, Anna regretfully pulled away, taking her hands in his.

She didn’t exactly want to tell him the news in the stables, and if he kissed her again, they were going to be down there a lot longer than she planned. “Actually, I wanted to show you something upstairs.”

“Oh really?” The more-than-pleased look on Kristoff’s face caused Anna to laugh.

“Not _that!_ ” She smiled and began to pull him back outside. “Come on, you’ll see.”

As they walked to their room, hand in hand, Kristoff looked around him at all the faces grinning at them as they passed by. “Is it just me,” he began, looking toward Anna, “or is everyone acting kind of…weird tonight?”

Right as he spoke, Elsa came out of her study, beaming from ear to ear when she spotted him. “Hello, Kristoff!” she nearly sang as she passed them.

Anna caught her glance and smiled.

“See what I mean?” he asked. “She never talks to me like that.”

Feigning ignorance, Anna shrugged. “It must be the weather.”

“Must be. It was a nice day I guess.”

“Honey, it’s an absolutely _perfect_ day.”

Stopping right outside their door, Kristoff turned to her. “Okay, now you’re doing it, too.”

“Doing what?”

“Being weird.”

“Just – come on.” Releasing his hand, Anna opened the door, pulled him inside, and quickly shut it. She grabbed his arm and tried to drag him inside. “Okay,” she said once they were by the hearth, “I need you to close your eyes.”

Without question, Kristoff closed his eyes. He had no clue what Anna wanted to show him, but he’d long since learned to stop questioning her demands.

Taking a deep breath, Anna walked over to the bed and reached under her pillow where the small blanket was hidden. She took the piece of fabric and went back in front of Kristoff, holding it out to him. “Alright, open.”

Opening his eyes, Kristoff blinked in confusion. “It’s…uh…”

“It’s my baby blanket. I mean, I had quite a few, but my mother made this one. Elsa had a matching blue one. I found it in the attic. I wanted to give it to our child, but then I thought I should make them their own, too. I’m thinking yellow. Or green. Or red. Well, actually I haven’t decided yet.”

Softening at her words, Kristoff smiled and ran his fingers over the soft fabric. “That sounds like a great idea.”

“But…the problem is I was never very good at needlework. I was thinking of asking Gerda to kind of re-teach me.”

“I’m sure it’ll be wonderful. I know it will be.”

Still looking at the blanket, Anna felt tears well behind her eyes. Her emotions were taking over, and she _needed_ to tell Kristoff before she became a blubbering mess. “But, um, Gerda is a busy woman. And good needlework can take months to learn.”

“Anna…?” Something was wrong. Her voice was shaking.

“And I only have seven. I…I don’t know if I can finish it in time.”

“...what are you…?”

“I only have seven or so months to finish it. And I...I know that seems like a lot of time, but it’s not that much time at all.”

“Anna…” suddenly breathless, Kristoff’s eyes stung with tears as her words dawned on him. “Are... are you–?” He couldn’t finish his sentence, too afraid to jinx it.

 Anna couldn’t stop the wobbly smile from spreading across her face. “You’re going to be a papa.”

With a strangled, disbelieving laugh, Kristoff grabbed her, pulling her to him as his vision grew bleary, tears spilling over the rim of his eyes. “Oh my God! _Oh my God._ Anna.” Worried he was holding her too tight, he pulled back only an inch, leaning his forehead against hers.

“I know!” Crying herself, Anna sniffed and couldn’t stop the joy from slipping out between her tearful laughter. “Kristoff, we’re going to have a baby!”

Quickly wiping his tears with the back of his hand, Kristoff laughed again as he looked down and saw Anna, his wife. His wife who would soon be the mother of his _child._ _Their_ child. She looked so beautiful, eyes glistening, and so loving, her wide smile producing the most gorgeous sounds he’d ever heard. He didn’t have any words; nothing could convey the feeling of complete and utter devotion in his chest, so he kissed her gently, stroking the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs.

Anna kissed him back, tasting his tears as she smiled against his lips. She felt like she was going to burst. She was going to be a mother - a mother! - and there was no one in the universe she’d rather go through it with besides Kristoff. When he pulled away, she was going to pull him right back in, but he dropped to his knees, arms gently wrapping around her as he placed his forehead against her stomach, and she smiled as she felt him tremble slightly.

“A _baby,_ ” Kristoff said in amazement, and Anna ran her fingers through his hair, gazing down at him lovingly.

“I probably won’t be showing for another couple of months, but it’s in there.”

Kristoff placed a feather light kiss against the fabric of her dress, and when he looked up at her, Anna nearly burst into another set of tears.

Standing up, Kristoff picked up Anna, crossing the room to their bed and laying her down gently on top of the blankets. He curled beside her and grinned as he nuzzled into her shoulder, holding her as close as he possibly could. “I love you, Anna. I love them.” He slid his right hand down to rest on her still-flat stomach.

“I love you,” Anna said, feeling like it was only the two - three - of them in the world.

“God, we’re having a _baby._ ” No amount of saying the world could get Kristoff to quite believe it.

Covering his hand with hers, Anna turned her head and bumped her nose against his. “Isn’t it _amazing?_ There’s this whole new person growing inside me. It’s kind of scary, but mostly exciting!”

Kissing her softly, Kristoff couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re going to be such an incredible mother.”

“You too. Well, not the mother part.” Laughing, they stayed close together, noses mere inches apart. “I’m going to look so different,” Anna realized. She glanced down where their hands sat on her abdomen.

“You’re going to look _beautiful._ ” He kissed her cheek.

“I wonder what it’s going to feel like.”

Kristoff’s smile fell when he looked back into her eyes. “I don’t know,” he said seriously, “but I will do anything you need me to do, alright? I can’t help with a lot of it.” Carrying and delivering the child would be all Anna; he felt so useless. “But I will be right by your side the whole time. I would do anything for you.”

Once again, emotion bubbled up in Anna’s throat and she felt like she could barely breathe. “I know. I just need you to be here.”

“Always.”

She kissed him then, and turned her body so she was fully facing him, causing their hands to slide off her stomach. Kristoff put his now free hand to the small of her back and pulled her closer, always closer.

“Do you remember when I said I was the happiest I’d ever been?” Kristoff asked softly.

Anna nodded, her blue eyes filled with joy as her husband smiled at her wider than she’d ever seen.

“I was wrong. _This_ is the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“Me too.” She kissed him again, then pulled him into a hug, just holding onto the presence of him.

“We’re going to have a _family,_ Kristoff.”

“A big one.”

“A loving one.”

Kristoff pulled back the slightest bit to look in her eyes. “Ours.”

Anna grinned back. “Ours.” Then, “Also, we’re going to need to stop serving eggs for a while.”

Kristoff simply laughed, nodded, and kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this certainly took a while, sorry about that


End file.
